Man shoots at officer inside crowded Waffle House

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Police have been checking local hospitals to track down a suspected armed robber who shot at an off-duty officer inside a Waffle House in Decatur.

DeKalb police said the restaurant on Covington Highway was crowded when the man shot at the officer around 2 a.m.

Police believe the armed man may have not realized there was an off-duty police officer working security.

"The officer was at the front of the restaurant and the subject fired in the direction of the officer," said DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander.

That's when police said the officer, in full uniform, pulled his gun and returned fire.

The man ran out the front door, but evidence left behind makes police believe he was shot.

"We have blood stains on the wall right outside the glass door here of the Waffle House. We don't know the extent of his injuries but believe he may be hit by return gunfire by the officer," said Alexander.

A witness at a gas station nearby said he saw the man run out of the door, and down a sidewalk behind the (Waffle House), before jumping over a fence.

"K-9 responded to the scene and were able to pick up a scent, but that scent didn't last very long," Alexander said.

Police believe a second suspect may have been waiting in a getaway car and picked up the injured gunman.

A witness described the car he saw speeding out of parking lot as a champagne-colored Buick LeSabre.

Police said the officer was not hurt. The customers inside the Waffle House were not hurt, police said.